This invention generally relates to electrical components assembled on-site and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for facilitating installation and assembly of electrical components.
At least some known electrical control panels, for example thermostats, security system keypads, and fire detection system controls, include a base plate fixedly mounted to a surface, such as a wall. The control panel also typically includes a cover that is configured to couple to the base plate during normal operation. The cover may incorporate a keypad, control electronics, sensors and detectors, and indicators. A cable including a plurality of communication and/or power wires is channeled from the surface, through an aperture in the base plate, to the cover. The wires are terminated, for example, in a spade lug, which are then coupled to a terminal strip coupled to the cover. During installation, the installer is required to support the cover, position a spade lug on a termination of the terminal block, and tighten the termination screw to frictionally engage the spade lug in the termination. However, current keypads are difficult to assemble in this manner. Specifically, one hand is used to hold the cover and the other hand to insert the wire spade lug into the termination, which leaves no free hand to screw down the wire into the terminal block. Instead the installer often improvises a method of balancing the cover or wedging it between a part of his body and an available object, so that he frees up the use of a hand so that so that his second hand can be used to tighten the termination screw to frictionally engage the spade lug in the termination.
Some known attempts to solve the installation problem include using screwless terminal blocks, for example, spring activated terminations, to avoid the need to tighten down the wires. Others have used flying leads that the installer must solder his wires to. However, the wires not meet tightness specifications and come loose, and using flying leads requires excessive time and expertise to accomplish.